Remind me what's good about living in Scotland?

[CoralPaperweight]

I moved to Scotland 25 years ago (central belt) and I've had a great life here but over the last year or so I've got increasingly itchy feet. May be a post-Covid or age thing but I'm not sure I want to stay in Scotland forever - it just doesn't seem to be as appealing to me, and even the cities seem a bit flat at the moment. Realistically, I can't disrupt DS education at the moment, he's very settled and happy so please remind me of everything that is fantastic about life in Scotland. I'm forever reading threads about people who are desperate to move to Scotland and I'm not really seeing why at the moment.

I think they assume it's all rolling hills and country walks which of course it is, combined with a high crime and poverty rate, cliquey villages etc.

And awful weather, high prices ( in cities), and midges on the West coast.

Scenery, people, convenience of everywhere in the central belt, weather isn't effectively worse than the rest of England in my experience. Yes it's 'worse' in that when it rains it really rains but it's just as miserable on a day with damp pathetic attempts at rain which are nearly as frequent in England as proper wet days in Scotland.

Lack of major urban sprawl is another big one that's stuck me. 8 miles from a city centre and you can be in proper countryside/hills which is rare in England.

The attitude of people in general in Scotland seems generally more "socialist/left wing" while England is shifting to the right.

We moved up because a job that DH wanted came up in a location we can afford. We will not be leaving...

See I do think the weather is worse - it's definitely colder and darker in the winter. I used to like getting to the countryside/coast easily but frankly too much enforced walked during Covid times has sucked the joy out of that. My last three breaks have all been to other UK cities and I loved them ... so much going on ...

My friend recently relocated to Scotland (Glasgow GL4 area) and she absolutely loves it. She left a very expensive part of North London and said she doesn't miss it at all.

People are friendlier, less traffic, noise, pollution and stress, plus glorious countryside. She's only been there 6 months though so could still be in the honeymoon period.

Lived here all my life abs frequently ask myself that very question. The answer is my husband but that’s not really applicable to anyone else. He’s a bit of a home body, I tolerate the shitty place (with much moaning).

Weather is shite, tax is higher, services are on their knees. I suppose there’s some nice scenery.

Nothing - I'd move away tomorrow if I could.

People who think they have the right to poke their nose into your business, the SNP, shite education, ridiculous delivery costs to places "in the Highlands and Islands" (which have an Aberdeen postcode) I could go on and on.

Since Covid we have been inundated with people moving here from all over Britain, with no connections to the area 🙄

The people. The kindness generosity and humour. Everyone speaks to you , in shops queues etc; or just passing on a walk.
The green and the coolth. No brown baked droughts and boiling hot weather.
The amazing landscapes and clean air and clean water. The sea, rivers, lochs.. The wonderful fresh meat and seafood.

Lower population density, relatively easy access to whatever kind of natural habitat you prefer, beaches, forests, lochs. Beautiful architecture in much of Edinburgh.

The national museum is fantastic and you can pick times when it's really quiet.

Some fantastic parks in Scotland too.

I admit the SNP's constant othering of rUK is wearing but if you don't listen to the news it helps!

So you’d move away, but you’re not keen on other people who have done that— but into your area? Would you have ‘connections’ to where you’d move to?

The parks, the hills, the bars, the banter, the beaches. The accessibility of cities/coast/mountains. People are generally friendly and interested/interesting. Every so often I move away for work, but after two years of so, I’m glad to get back.

I think it really depends where in Scotland. Edinburgh is very different from the Borders or the Highlands. Edinburgh traffic is appalling, and so is the air quality on some very busy roads. People are not friendly in Edinburgh and it is windy and cold nearly all the time.
Go somewhere more sheltered and more rural , and you get better air quality, friendlier people and less traffic.
Aberdeen is a grim, freezing place.
Its like saying all of England is like this or that. It varies hugely according to area.
London bears no relation to a small county town.

@PineMartenPeanutbutter so where can I lure pine martens with peanut butter? (Sorry for the off topic!) I last saw them nesting in a wildlife sanctuary on the west coast.

Haha!! In a particular holiday house I go to!

wildlife - the absolute best thing. Hm I didn't mention Scotland's botanical gardens either...

You need to move to Perthshire. The only thing we lack is the coast.

A slower pace of life. Life is less stressful for children. Financially easier for young people age 16 plus and at and after university. There is excellent free training available for people running small businesses. Good library provision. Good public transport (in my personal experience).
It feels more spacious and uncrowded here. There are so many lovely places you can go and know that you will probably meet no-one. Wild open spaces. Right to roam (though fewer public footpaths). Relatively empty roads. Peace and quiet. Very green, wild flowers everywhere, wonderful light and colour. Long summer days. I haven't found the weather noticeably worse than it is in England. Summer is cooler and greener here. It's great that you can drive in any direction and it's always beautiful - the journey is a pleasure in itself.

Yes Perthshire is really lovely.

The people for sure, especially the humour. In the home counties people just say something boring and predictable whilst laughing loudly, and apparently that counts as humour 🤷‍♀️

Aberdeen is a grim, freezing place.

Bit harsh. I quite liked living there - fabulous beaches, easy access to great countryside, long summer evenings because the sun sets so late, red squirrels edging into the fringes of the city. (I am ignoring the haar, which inevitably started rolling in on the best summer evenings).

I live in an EU country with access to great and free higher education, clean streets and parks, lower crime rate and great health care.

And yet I absolutely miss how friendly people are back home in Scotland...I miss it so much I'm debating moving back but much of what's been mentioned in this thread is what's stopping me. So yeah, friendly people!

Thanks for replying - I have good friends here but I don't think the people are any more friendly than other places I've lived eg Newcastle. I get the rural thing, I really do but it's not me. I love cities.

I think I'm just jaded after 2 years of Covid and the restrictions here - not helped by activities I used to do just disappearing and not coming back and every theatre show / concert I've booked this year being cancelled.

I moved from the central belt to Moray many years ago and have never regretted it. Much nicer quality of life. Sea, forest, mountains. Clean air. Less crime. Kids much preferred growing up here. Couple of hours takes me to any Scottish city when I fancy a change. I'll never tire of it.

To be fair, Newcastle is probably the friendliest place in England. We certainly noticed a difference in friendliness in the street when we moved up.